both me and partner are autistic - should we have children

Hi

So both my partner and I are high functioning and have been together for 7 years now and have a dog together and have babysat before all without a problem so are mentally and physically fit to look after a child.

As however we are both autistic and there is a genetic correlation, what is the likelihood of us passing this on? also is it more likely that a child of two high functioning people will also be high functioning or will it mean that the child will not be as high functioning as us?

Are there any studies or reading material for this?

  • Just wanted to point out where both partents are not autistic (NT) can and do have children that have autism.

    If worried about  giving you child autism because you have it, dont. Thinking that way I would never cross the road, just because there an chance that I could be hit by car. Trust me, I do not want to be hit by car, but by crossing it you incress the chance of it happening.

    PS You have an advantage if have child that has autism, you know about it! You fully payed up member of the club

  • If you want children, have them, if they turn out ASD, you will be the perfect parents. Nothing wrong with being ASD! It’s just our brains work different. If there were no ASD in this world we wouldn’t have any of the major invention and breakthroughs we have today! Look at all the great and famous people who just happen to have ASD. Maybe a child of yours will hold the keys to more great breakthroughs. Who knows? Yes there are challenges, and life is hard, I have found living in a NT world and growing up undiagnosed hard, now diagnosed (at 56) I look back and understand better, but if my mum had know she’d pass on ASD to me would she had children, I hope so. ASD runs in families, but there is no way of knowing for sure, if a child of yours would have ASD, May have something else, life’s like that. But if you want children have them, enjoy them. 

  • If you want children... YES!

    That's all I have to say.

  • As for the question ‘should we have children’, this really is a matter for you and is not for anyone else to dictate. I don’t know of any specific data regarding the likelihood of two autistic parents having an autistic child, though it is true to say that many autistic parents have autistic children, and there is clearly some form of genetic link as you say.

    Regarding whether or not the child would be high functioning because both parents are, on the basis alone of the families I know of, I would say that just because the parents are high functioning, it doesn’t mean the child will be. I suppose this correlates with neurotypical people in a way - clever parents don’t necessarily have clever children, non-disabled parents don’t necessarily have non-disabled children etc.

    The only reading I could recommend is on a blog I read as below, and The Guardian have also written a number of good articles (available on their website, just search ‘Autism’ and browse the options) regarding autistic parents/parenting autistic children etc.

    http://life-with-aspergers.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=Can+aspies+make+good+parents+

    I hope this helps in some way.